Be an efficient and cost-effective legal researcher in your summer position. Biddle is offering two tutorials, one that emphasizes construction effective research strategies and reviews the major legal databases and a second tutorial that will help you to carry out cost-effective legal research by using many of the free and reliable legal research websites that are available.

This year is the 250th anniversary of the publication of Sir William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England, the single most influential book in the history of Anglo-American law. Blackstone’s was the first methodical treatise in hundreds of years to make the common law readable and understandable by non-lawyers.

Check out one of these Biddle tutorials which will orient you to the most frequently used legal materials in these jurisdictions. Going beyond case law and statutes, you will learn about practice materials, legal directories, jurisdiction specific legal newspapers, as well as the use of relevant continuing legal education materials.

Biddle Law Library is looking for several Penn Law students to work on faculty research projects under the mentorship of lawyer/librarians. A wide range of interdisciplinary assignments will stretch one’s research skills and provide opportunities for writing memoranda. Students will attend faculty colloquia (as available), learn how a dynamic faculty produces excellent scholarship and have an opportunity to earn letters of reference. Excellent writing and interpersonal skills are a must. Some experience in non-law disciplines is a plus.

Looking forward to your summer clerkship? Want to learn more about research materials that will support you in a litigation practice? Or are you preparing to write an interdisciplinary seminar paper? These two upcoming library research tutorials, LITIGATION RESEARCH and RESEARCH USING NON-LAW UNIVERSITY RESOURCES will be of interest. All tutorials carry One L research credit.

Off campus for spring break, but freaking out about some research you have to do? One of the fastest ways to gain access to restricted access articles and publications from off-campus is to use the Biddle bookmarklet! A bookmarklet is a tool that allows you to insert the proxy information into the link you currently have. Check out the Biddle Answers database for other answers to other questions!

It’s almost time for Spring Break! Some of you will be studying for those final exams and researching those final papers from a beach somewhere. Yay for you. Those of you stuck in Philly might want to check out the Bill of Rights, though, and take your legal education to another level.

Time to put those resolutions into action: start studying in the library. For those of you who still find the library a terrifying place, here’s a quick review of the variety of services you may find useful!